EIKY 161600Z 23011KT 9999 SCT015 BKN025 18/15 Q1024=
EIKY 161530Z 19007KT 160V260 9999 SCT017 BKN024 18/15 Q1024=
So it appears that at 2000 feet he was below broken cloud and in good visibility with maybe some scattered below and hence visual with the terrain ahead but once climbing into cloud would be on an unknown climb profile re terrain having delayed the climb